Middle east Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Middle east - Essay Example Middle East is a desert region and thus it receives less than 250 mm of rainfall annually. Israel is characterized by Mediterranean climate with hot summers and short winter. The region receives short rains during winter and day temperatures reaches to a maximum of 39 degrees Celsius. The high temperatures and low rainfall indicates that the region depend on underground water for its domestic and industrial water requirements. The state of Israel is approximately 20,700 kilometer square and its inland water constitutes about 445 km2. Inland water include river Jordan, which has its source in mount Harmon. River Jordan is the main source of fresh water in the region. Other water sources such as Sea of Galilee, Dead Sea and Hula marshes have salty water. The region also has major well where villagers in both the Israel and Palestinian sides obtain water for domestic and agricultural use. Agriculture is significant in the region despite its short rains. Farming in this region is based on irrigation. Thus, water is a factor of national interest to both societies. Israel has attained food stability due to its control of water resources in the region (Eisenzweig, 2000). Water for irrigation constitutes about 70% of water requirements in the region. Israel is also an industrialized country and therefore the country requires water for its industry. The available water is below the water that is required to sustain the region’s water requirements. Due to water scarcity, Israel needed to secure its water resources from the Palestinian people. In addition, Israel needed to secure its water resources from population. Israel occupation of disputed areas such as West Bank and Gaza strip was a way of protecting the water resources. The occupied territories are the main source of conflicts between the Israelis and the Palestinians. However, the conflict has often been associated with other historical factors. Water from